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In silico medicine, an emergent scientific and technological domain based on clinically driven and oriented multiscale biomodeling, appears to be the latest trend regarding the translation of mathematical and computational biological science to clinical practice through massive exploitation of information technology. The term multiscale refers to several scales or levels of the manifestation of life such as the molecular, the cellular, the tissue, the organ, and the body system scales addressed concurrently.

The overarching idea is to view disease as a hypercomplex and multiscale natural phenomenon amenable to modeling and simulation. In silico (i.e., on the computer) experimentation for each individual patient using their own multiscale biomedical data is expected to significantly improve the effectiveness of treatment in the future, since reliable computer predictions could suggest the optimal treatment scheme(s) and schedules(s) for each separate case.

Clinical data processing procedures and computer technologies play an important role in this context. Following clinical adaptation and validation within the framework of clinico-genomic trials, models are expected to enhance individualized treatment optimization. The latter constitutes the long term goal of the emergent scientific, technological and medical discipline of in silico oncology.

Treatment optimization is to be achieved through experimentation in silico. Moreover, provision of insight into tumour dynamics and optimization of clinical trial design and interpretation constitute short- and mid-term goals of this new domain. Researchers working either in the area of in silico oncology (as viewed from the clinical, the basic science, the technology and/or the legal and ethical perspectives) or in the broader cancer research domain yet with an interest in computational oncology are invited to submit short papers.

The workshop to be held in Athens, Greece is meant to be an excellent opportunity for both shaping and advancing the new discipline.

This year’s workshop will be dedicated to Aristotle and special focus will be put on the importance of the clinical multiscale data - representing the Aristotelian observable reality - for the advancement of in silico oncology.

The close proximity of the venue to the newly excavated and open to the public Aristotle’s Lyceumis expected to act as a special source of inspiration. A one hour session of the workshop dedicated mainly to discussion will be held (weather permitting) on the very site of Aristotle’s Peripatetic School!